THE GLASS FACTORY.           
                                        
                                        
                                      
                                  
                                  
                                          
 SEVERAL  CENTURIES  AFTER  IT  HAD  LAST 
 BELONGED TO US,  WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO 
 THE GLASS FACTORY  THAT BORE OUR  FAMILY 
 NAME. IT HAD  CHANGED OWNERS  MANY TIMES 
 SINCE  OUR  ANCESTORS  DEATH,  AND  THEN 
 STOOD   ABANDONED  FOR   A  LONG  WHILE. 
 FINALLY,  THE  NATURAL  END STATION  FOR 
 THE  BUILDINGS THAT  SURVIVE: A  MUSEUM, 
 AND A GIFT SHOP.                         
                                          
 THERE'S  A LONG  TIME  SINCE  MY  FAMILY 
 MADE  ANYTHING.  BY  MANY,  WE  WOULD BE 
 CONSIDERED POOR.                         
                                          
 THERE ARE  TWO  MAIN FACTORY  BUILDINGS, 
 DOMED THINGS OF  SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN 
 YELLOW BRICK.  LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, 
 REMINESCENT     OF    SOME    CATHEDRAL. 
 CUSTOM-MADE GLASS,  OF COURSE, LARGE AND 
 LEADED,  AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE 
 PRACTICAL.   ON  THE  EASTERN  BUILDING, 
 SOME ARE SHATTERED.                      
                                          
 THE OTHER ONE IS  PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S 
 A MUSEUM,  WITH WAX  FIGURES OF MY GREAT 
 GREAT GREAT  GRANDFATHER, OR  SOMETHING. 
 VARIOUS TOOLS (OR  REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON 
 TABLES,  WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF 
 GLASS      OF     VARYING     THICKNESS. 
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 I QUICKLY  SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE 
 OTHER   BUILDING.   THE    CONTRAST   IS 
 OVERWHELMING.   IT   MUST   HAVE   STOOD 
 DERELICT   FOR  A   LONG  TIME,  WINDOWS 
 BROKEN,  METALLIC  TRASH  AND  POOLS  OF 
 DARK  GLASS  ALL  OVER  THE   FLOOR.  NO 
 ELECTRIC LIGHTS,  BUT I CAN  SEE BY  THE 
 LIGHT THAT SHINES  IN WHEREVER  THE DARK 
 WINDOWS     ARE    MISSING    A    PANE. 
                                          
 HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS  THE 
 HIGHER  FLOORS:  THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. 
 IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL,  STRETCHING AWAY 
 INFINITELY  ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE 
 IS SOME  GREAT  IRON  LATTICEWORK,  FROM 
 WHERE  CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED,  AND  PARTS 
 OF  MACHINERY  HAS  BEEN  FALLING  DOWN. 
                                          
 THERE  IS,  IN THE  MIDDLE OF THE  GREAT 
 HALL,  A   THIN  SPIRAL  STAIRCASE  THAT 
 LEADS UP THERE. I  SNEAK OVER THERE, AND 
 TAKE  A FEW  RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST 
 A  REVOLUTION,  I  NOTICE THAT  FOR EACH 
 STEP  THE BUILDING  STARTS  TO GLOW, THE 
 BRICKS TURNING  A  DARK  RED,  AND  THEN 
 ORANGE, ALL THE  PILED  UP DEBREE  BEING 
 LIT FROM BEHIND.                         
                                          
 I STOP READY TO  RUN  DOWN  AND OUT, BUT 
 THERE'S  SOMEONE ELSE  ON  THE STAIRCASE 
 WITH   ME   NOW,  PRESSED   CLOSE.  HE'S 
 LOOKING  LIKE  ME,  SHORT HAIR  AND THIN 
 ARMS, BUT WITH  EARS  FROM  SOME ANIMAL, 
 AND MORE  DISTURBINGLY,  COMPLETELY MADE 
 OF DARK LIQUID GLASS.                    
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 MY  FEAR  HOLDS  ME  IN  PLACE  WHILE HE 
 STARTS  OPERATING  LEVERS  AND DIALS SET 
 IN THE CENTER  OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, 
 IT STARTS  SPINNING,  CIRCLING  UPWARDS. 
 IT'S  AN  ELEVATOR!  I  START   TO   RUN 
 DOWNWARDS,   BUT   NOW  THE  LIQUID  BOY 
 CREATURE  GRABS  HOLD OF  ME.  I TRY  TO 
 SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S  TOO STRONG, AND 
 PULLS   ME    BACK    UP   BESIDE   HIM. 
                                          
 THIS TIME, I  TURN ANGRY  INSTEAD.  WHAT 
 THE HELL? WHO IS  THIS GUY, ACTING  LIKE 
 THIS? I REACH OUT MY  FREE  ARM AND SLAM 
 A   RANDOM  LEVER.  SOME  METAL  BAR  IS 
 SUDDENLY  RELEASED  BETWEEN US,  HITTING 
 HIM  ON  THE ARM, FORCING  MY RELEASE. I 
 SHOVE HIM OFF OF  ME, AND HE FALLS  INTO 
 THE    LEVERS,    MESSING    THEM    UP. 
 IMMEDIATELY,  A  THIN  RUSTY   CHAINMAIL 
 CURTAIN  IS DROPPED  AROUND ME.  BUT THE 
 ELEVATOR ALSO  SPEEDS  UP SIGNIFICANTLY. 
                                          
 THE  WALLS  ARE  FLARING  NOW,   YELLOW, 
 WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES  AND 
 CURL  INTO  A BALL.  BUT THEN, THE GLASS 
 BOY  SCREAMS,  A  PIERCING  SOUND   THAT 
 FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS  HE 
 BECOMES  TOO  LIQUID, HIS  BODY  POOLING 
 DOWN  IN  HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL,  AND THE 
 TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS  OF IN A GLASS 
 DROP  THAT  FALLS  TOWARD   THE  FACTORY 
 FLOOR.                                   
                                          
 HE'S CRAWLING ON THE  STAIRS,  UNABLE TO 
 KEEP HIS BODY  UPRIGHT.  CAN'T REACH THE 
 LEVERS,  CLAWS  AT  MY  CHAINMAIL  CAGE, 
 WHILE  HIS BODY  IS  TURNING  INTO  DARK 
 PEARLS.  FINALLY, HE'S  LOST TOO MUCH OF 
 HIMSELF AND  THE  SCREAM  IS  CUT SHORT. 
 THE   LAST    OF   HIM    RAINS    DOWN. 
                                          
 I STILL  CAN'T  REACH  THE  LEVERS  FROM 
 WITHIN MY  CAGE. LOOKING  UP,  I TRY  TO 
 MAKE OUT THE CEILING,  BUT  IT'S  ALL  A 
 WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME  GLOWS 
 THE HELLFIRE OF THE  FACTORY  WALLS, BUT 
 VERY FAINT. I  SIT  DOWN, CURL  BACK UP, 
 BECOME STILL.                            
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 A  LARGE CLUNK SHAKES  MY  ENTIRE  BODY, 
 AND  SNAPS ME  BACK  INTO  REALITY.  I'M 
 BACK  AT  THE  FACTORY  FLOOR,  BUT  THE 
 STAIRS   ARE  STILL   MOVING   SLIGHTLY, 
 CLICKING IN PLACE,  CARRYING ME THE LAST 
 FEW  CENTIMETERS.  I  CAME  FROM  BELOW, 
 SOMEHOW.  THE  CHAINMAIL  IS  RETRACTED, 
 AND  I  SLOWLY   DISMOUNT   THE  STAIRS. 
                                          
 SHAKING  AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY  OVER 
 THE FACTORY  FLOOR, WADING  THROUGH DARK 
 GLASS  MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND 
 I SEE  THERE'S  SOMETHING  FAINT  INSIDE 
 THEM.    EMBRYOS?    ARE   THESE   EGGS? 
                                          
 I   SHUDDER,   AND   CLIMB   BACK   OUT.